Muley et al

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, October 2009; 8 (5): 455-465

© Pharmacotherapy Group,
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin,
Benin City, 300001 Nigeria.
.
All rights reserved

Available online at http://www.tjpr.org

Review Article

Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological

Activities of Calendula officinalis Linn (Asteraceae): A
Review

BP Muley*, SS Khadabadi and NB Banarase

Govt. College of Pharmacy, Kathora Naka, Amaravati, Maharashtra State, India- 444 604.

Abstract
Calendula officinalis Linn. (Asteraceae) is used medicinally in Europe, China and India amongst several
places in the world. It is also known as “African marigold” and has been a subject of several chemical
and pharmacological studies. It is used in traditional medicine, especially for wound healing, jaundice,
blood purification, and as an antispasmodic. Chemical studies have underlined the presence of various
classes of compounds, the main being triterpenoids, flavonoids, coumarines, quinones, volatile oil,
carotenoids and amino acids. The extract of this plant as well as pure compounds isolated from it, have
been demonstrated to possess multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-HIV, cytotoxic, anti-
inflammatory, hepatoprotective, spasmolytic and spasmogenic, amongst others. In this review, we have
explored the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of C. officinalis in order to collate existing
information on this plant as well as highlight its multi-activity properties as a medicinal agent. This is as a
result of the worldwide cultivation of the plant and increasing published reports on it.

Key words: Calendula officinalis, Asteraceae, Phytochemical constituents, Pharmacological activities,

Contraindications.

Received: 11 April 2009 Revised accepted: 10 September 2009

*Corresponding author: Email: muley.b@gmail.com; nbanarase7@gmail.com.

Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 455

 Muley et al

INTRODUCTION up of orange-yellow tubular florets. The disc

India is called the botanical garden of the
world for its rich natural resources. Over
6,000 plants in India are used in traditional,
folklore and herbal medicine[1]. The Indian
system of medicine has identified 1500
medicinal plants of which 500 are commonly
used[1]. Calendula officinalis Linn. is used
medicinally in Europe, China, US and India. It
belongs to the family, Asteraceae, and is
commonly known as Zergul (Hindi), African
marigold, Calendula, Common Marigold,
Garden Marigold, Marigold, Pot Marigold
(English), Butterblume (German), Chin Chan
Ts’ao (Chinese), Galbinele (Romanian) and
Ringblomma (Swedish)[2,3].
Taxonomic description
The plant is classified as shown in Table 1.
florets are pseudohermaphrodites but the
female is sterile. The zygomorphic ray florets
at the edge are female, their stamens are
completely absent, and their inferior ovaries
are much more developed than those of the
tubular florets. The fruit forms only in the
female ray flowers. The heterocarp achenes
are sickle-shaped, curved and ringed.
Leaf, stem and root
The plant is an annual, seldom biennial. It
grows to between 30 and 50 cm high, and
has about 20 cm long tap root and numerous
thin, secondary roots. The stem is erect,
angular, downy and branched from the base
up or higher. The alternate leaves are almost
spatulate at the base, oblong to lanceolate
above and are all tomentosae[5-7].

Table 1: Taxonomic classification of Calendula

officinalis [4]

Kingdom Plantae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Subclass Asteridae Leaves with stem Flower
Order Asterales Fig 1: The leaf, stem and flower of C. officinalis
Family Asteraceae
Tribe Calenduleae
Genus Calendula
Traditional uses
Species C. officinalis
In Europe, the leaves are considered
Habitat resolvent and diaphoretic while the flowers
are used as a stimulant, antispasmodic and
The plant is native to Central and Southern emmenagogue[2]. In England, the decoction
Europe, Western Asia and the US [5]. of the flowers was used as a posset drink for
the treatment of measles and smallpox, and
Botanical description the fresh juice as a remedy for jaundice,
Flower and fruit costiveness (constipation) and suppression of
menstrual flow [8]. In India, the florets are
On the tip of each stem, there is a 5 to 7 cm used in ointments for treating wounds,
composite flower head, as shown in Fig 1, herpes, ulcers, frostbite, skin damage, scars
consisting of an epicalyx of numerous and blood purification. The leaves, in
narrow-lanceolate sepals, which are densely infusion, are used for treating varicose veins
covered on both sides with glandular hairs. externally [2,8].
The inner section of the flower head is made

Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 456

 Muley et al
PHYTOCHEMISTRY
A number of phytochemical studies have
demonstrated the presence of several
classes of chemical compounds, the main
ones being terpenoids, flavonoids,
coumarines, quinones, volatile oil,
carotenoids and amino acids.
Terpenoids
Various terpenoids (Table 2) have been
reported from the petroleum ether extract of
C.officinalis flowers. They include sitosterols,
stigmasterols[9], diesters of diols[10], 3-
monoesters of taraxasterol, ψ-taraxasterol,
lupeol[11,12], erythrodiol, brein[13,14],
ursadiol[15], faradiol-3-O-palmitate, faradiol-
3-O-myristate, faradiol-3-O-laurate[16],
arnidiol-3-O-palmitate, arnidiol-3-O-myristate,
arnidiol-3-O-laurate, calenduladiol-3-O-
palmitate, calenduladiol-3-O-myristate[17,18],
oleanolic acid saponins: calenduloside A-
H[19-22], oleanane triterpene glycoside:
calendulaglycoside A, calendulaglycoside
A6′-O-n-methyl ester, calendulaglycoside A6’-
O-n-butyl ester, calendulaglycoside B,
calendulaglycoside B 6′-O-n-butyl ester,
calendulaglycoside C, calendulaglycoside C
6′-O-n-methyl ester, calendulaglycoside C 6′-
O-n-butyl ester, calenduloside F6′-O-n-butyl
ester, calnduloside G6′-O-n-methyl ester[18],
glucosides of oleanolic acid (mainly found in
roots of grown and senescing plants) I, II, III,
VI, VII [23,24], and glucuronides (mainly
found in flowers and green parts) F, D, D2, C,
B and A[25]. One new triterpenic ester of
olanane series has been isolated from
flowers was cornulacic acid acetate from
flowers [26].
Flavonoids
Various flavonoids (Table 3) have been
isolated from the ethanol extract of the
inflorescence of C. officinalis. They include
quercetin, isorhamnetin[27], isoquercetin,
isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glycoside, narcissin,
calendoflaside [28], calendoflavoside,
calendoflavobioside, rutin, isoquercitrin,
neohesperidoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-
G
neohesperidoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-2 -
rhamnosyl rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-
rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside and
quercetin-3-O-rutinoside[18].
Coumarins
The ethanol extract of the inflorescence of
the C. officinalis reported to contain
coumarins - scopoletin, umbelliferone and
esculetin [29] .
Quinones
Quinones reported from C. officinalis were
plastoquinone, phylloquinone, α-tocopherol in
the chloroplast, ubiquinone, phylloquinone, α-
tocopherol in mitochondria, and
phylloquinone in the leaves [30].
Volatile oil
C. officinalis flowers contain maximum
volatile oil at full flowering stage (0.97 %) and
minimum during the preflowering stage (0.13
%) [31]. The composition also showed
different patterns at different phases of
vegetative cycles. Various monoterpenes and
sesquiterpenes have been reported in the
volatile oil : α-thujene, α-pienene, sabinene,
β-pienene, limonene, 1,8-cineol, p-cymene,
trans-β-ocimene, γ-terpenene, δ-3-carene,
nonanal, terpene-4-ol, 3-cylohexene-1-ol, α-
phellandrene, α-terpeneol, geraniol,
carvacrol, bornyl acetate, sabinyl acetate, α-
cubebene, α-copaene, α-bourbonene, β-
cubebene, α-gurjunene, aromadendrene, β-
caryophyllene, α-ylangene, α-humulene, epi-
bicyclo-sequiphellandrene, germacrene D,
alloaromadendrene, β-saliene, calarene,
muurolene, δ-cadinene, cadina 1,4-diene, α-
cadinene, nerolidol, palustron,
endobourbonene, oplopenone, α-cadinol, T-
muurolol. The essential oil was found to be
rich in α-cadinene, α-cadinol, t-muurolol,
limonene, and 1,8-cineol with p-cymene at
lower levels at the post-flowering periods
[31].
Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 457
 Muley et al

Table 2: Structures and activities of some terpenoids

Structure Activity
1 2 3
Calendulaglycoside A: R =Glc, R =Gal, R =H,
4
R =Glc;
1
Calendulaglycoside A6’-O-methyl ester: R =Glc,
2 3 4
R =Gal, R =Me, R =Glc;
1
Calendulaglycoside A6’-O-n-butyl ester: R =Glc,
2 3 4
R = Gal, R =n-Bu, R =Glc;
1 2 3
Calendulaglycoside B: R =Glc, R =Gal, R = H, Responsible for
4
R = H; antitumor, anti-
1
Calendulaglycoside B6’-O-n-butyl ester: R =Glc, inflammatory and
2 3 4
R =Gal, R =n-Bu, R =H; antioedematous
1 2 3
Triterpenoid Calendulaglycoside C: R =H, R =Gal, R =H, activities.
4
R =Glc;
1
Calendulaglycoside C6’-O-methyl ester: R = H,
2 3 4
R =Gal, R =Me, R =Glc;
1
Calendulaglycoside C6’-O-n-butyl ester: R =H,
2 3 4
R =Gal, R =n-Bu, R =Glc;
1
Calendulaglycoside F6’-O-n-butyl ester: R =H,
2 3 4
R =Gal, R =Me, R =H

Responsible for
anti-inflammatory
1 2 3
Faradiol: R =OH, R =R =H and
1 2 3
ψ-Taraxasterol: R =R =R =H antioedematous
activities.

Triterpenoid saponin

Carotenoids violaxanthin, 13Z-violaxanthin, anthera-

The methanol extract of leaves, petals and
pollens of C. officinalis flowers showed a
number of carotenoids. The carotenoids
found in the pollens and petals were
neoxanthin, 9Z-neoxanthin, violaxanthin,
luteoxanthin, auroxanthin, 9Z-violaxanthin,
flavoxanthin, mutatoxanthin, 9Z-
anthroxanthin, lutein, 9/9′A-lutein, 13/13′Z-
lutein, α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, z-
cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene, and β-
carotene. Total carotenoids (mg/g dry weight)
was 7.71 % for petals and1.61 % for pollens.
Reported carotenoid compositions of the
leaves and stems reported were neoxanthin,
9Z-neoxanthin, violaxanthin, luteoxanthin, 9Z-
xanthin, mutatoxanthin epimer 1,
mutatoxanthin epimer 2, lutein, 9/9′ 2-lutein,
α-cryptoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene.
Total carotenoids (mg/g dry weight) for the
leaves is 0.85 % and for stems 0.18 %
[32,33].
Amino acids
The ethanol extract of the flowers of the plant
is reported to show the presence of 15 amino
acids in free form: alanine, arginine, aspartic
acid, aspargine, valine, histidine, glutamic
acid, leucine, lysine, proline, serine, tyrosine,
threonine, methionine and phenylalanine.
Amino acid content of the leaves is about 5
%, stems 3.5 % and flowers 4.5 % [34].

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 Muley et al

Table 3: Structures and activities of some flavonoids

Structure Activity
1 2 3
R =Me, R =Rha, R =H;
G
Isorhamnetin3-O-2 -
1
rhamnosylrutinoside: R =Me, Responsible for
2 3
R =Rha, R =Rha; antioxidant and
Isorhamnetin3-O-rutinoside: wound healing
1 2 3
R =Me, R =H, R =Rha; activities
1
Quercetin-3-O-glucoside: R =
2 3
H, R =H, R =H; Quercetin-3-
1 2
O-rutinoside: R =H, R =H,
3
Isorhamnetin3-O-neohesperidoside R =Rha

Responsible for
antioxidant
activities

Quercetin

Responsible for
antioxidant
activities

Isorhamnetin

Carbohydrates monols, sterol esters, 3-monoesters, 3-

monoester diols reported in flowers were
The ethanol extract of the inflorescence of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic
plant showed the presence of and linolenic acid. The fatty acids of marigold
polysaccharides, PS-I,-II, and -III having a seeds contain about 59% of an 18:3
(1→3)-β-D-galactam backbone with short conjugated trienic (trans-8,trans-10, cis-12)
side chains at C-6 comprising α-araban- acid and about 5% of 9-hydroxy-18:2 (trans-
(1→3)-araban and alpha-L-rhamnan-(1→3)- 9,cis-11) acid - dimorphecolic acid [37,38]
araban along with monosaccharides [35,36]. one oxygenated fatty acid also reported from
the seed oil of C. officinalis was D-(+)-9-
Lipids hydroxy-10,12-octadecadienoic acid [39].

The lipids in the petroleum ether extract of Other constituents

the seeds, leaves and flowers of C. officinalis
have been analyzed. The amount of neutral Other phtytochemicals include the bitter
lipids in the seeds was 15.7 %, phospholipids constituent, loliolide (calendin) [40], calendulin
0.6 % and glycolipids 0.9 %. Fatty acids of [41] and n-paraffins [42].

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 Muley et al
PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES
Pharmacological studies have confirmed that
C.officinalis exhibit a broad range of
biological effects, some of which are very
interesting for possible future development.
Anti-inflammatory and antioedematous
activities
Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of the methanol
extract of C. officinalis flowers exhibited the
most potent inhibition (84 %) of 12-o-
tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-
induced inflammation (1 µg/ear) in mice with
an ID50 value of 0.05 - 0.20 mg/ear compared
with indomethacin as reference drug.
Furthermore, activity-guided isolation showed
that its activity was mainly due to oleanane-
type triterpene glycoside[18]. A dose of 1200
µg/ear of an aqueous-ethanol extract showed
20 % inhibition in croton oil-induced mouse
oedema. The activity was attributed to the
presence of triterpenoids, the three most
active compounds of which were the esters of
faradiol-3-myristic acid, faradiol-3-palmitic
acid and 4-taraxasterol [43,44].
Dichloromethane extract of the plant’s flower
heads inhibited croton oil-induced oedema,
and further isolation showed that the esters of
faradiol-myristic acid, faradiol-palmitic acid
and ψ-taraxasterol had antioedematous
activity with an oedema inhibition of nearly 50
2 Anticancer and
% at a dose of 240 µg/cm . Furthermore,
when the doses of these two faradiol esters
were doubled, oedema inhibition increased to
65 and 66 %, respectively, without any
synergism between them [45]. A cream
containing calendula extract has been
reported to be effective in dextran and burn
oedemas as well as in acute lymphoedema in
rats. Activity against lymphoedema was
primarily attributed to enhancement of
macrophage proteolytic activity [46].
Anti-HIV activity
Dichloromethane-methanol (1:1) extract of C.
officinalis flowers exhibited potent anti-HIV
activity in in vitro MTT/tetrazolium-based
assay. This activity was attributed to inhibition
of HIV1-RT at a concentration of 1,000 µg
/mL as well as suppression of the HIV-
mediated fusion at 500 µg/mL [47].
Antibacterial and antifungal activities
The methanol extract and 10 % decoction of
the plant’s flowers were assessed for their
activity against anaerobic and facultative
aerobic periodontal bacteria, namely,
Porphyromonos gingivalis, Prevotella spp.,
Furobacterium nucleatum, Caphocytophaga
gingivalis, Veilonella parvula, Eikenella
corrodens, Peptostreptococcus micros and
Actinomyces odontolyticus. The results
showed marked inhibition against all tested
microorganisms with MIC ≥2048 mg/L [48].
When the essential oil of the flowers was
tested (using disc diffusion technique) against
various fungal strains, namely, Candida
albicans(ATCC64548), Candida dubliniensis
(ATCC777), Candida parapsilosis
(ATCC22019), Candida
glabrata(ATCC90030), Candida krusei
(ATCC6258), and yeast isolated from
humans, viz, Candida albicans, Candida
dubliniensis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida
glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida
guilliermondii, Candida krusei and
Rhodotorella spp., it showed good potential
antifungal activity (at 15 µl/disc) [49].
lymphocyte activation
dual activities
The ethyal acetate soluble fraction of the
methanol extract of C. officinalis flowers has
shown cytotoxic activity in vitro [18]. Further
activity-guided isolation of that fraction
showed that the active compounds were:
calenduloside F6'-O-n-butyl ester, which is
active against leukaemia (MOLT-4 and RPMI
8226), colon cancer (HCC-2998) and
melanoma (LOXIMVI, SK-MEL-5 and UACC-
62)] cell lines with GI50 values of 0.77-0.99
µmole, except for leukaemia (CCRF-CEM,
GI50 = 23.1 µmole), renal cancer (AK-1, 17.2
µmole; UO-31, 12.7 µmole) and breast
Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 460
 Muley et al
cancer (NCI/ADR-RES, >50 µmole)] cell
lines; and calenduloside G6'-O-methyl ester,
which is active against all the cancer cell
lines mentioned above with GI50≤ 20 µmole
except for ovarian cancer (IGROVI, GI50 =
20.1 µmole) and renal cancer (VO-31, 33.3
µmole) cell lines[18]. Aqueous laser-activated
calendula flower extract (LACE) showed
potent in vitro inhibition of tumour cell
proliferation when assayed against a wide
variety of human and murine tumour cell
lines. The inhibition ranged from 70 – 100 %
with an IC50 concentration of 60 µg/mL. The
mechanisms of the inhibition were identified
as cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and
caspase-3 induced apoptosis. On the other
hand, when LACE was assayed against
human peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBLs)
and human natural killer cell lines (NKL) it
showed in vitro induction of proliferation and
activation of these cells, mainly B-
+ 2+
lymphocytes, CD4 , T lymphocytes and NKT
lymphocyte[50].
Various extracts of the leaf, flower and whole
plant have also been found to be cytotoxic to
MRC5, HeP2, ascetic cells from Ehrlich
carcinoma. The saponin rich fraction of these
extracts displayed antitumoural activity in vivo
in the Ehrlich mouse carcinoma model [51].
Hepatoprotective activity
The hydroalcohol extract of the flowers, when
given to CCl4-intoxicated liver in albino male
Wistar rats at a dose of 10 mL/kg, resulted in
a reduction of hepatocytolysis by 28.5 % due
to reduction in glutamo-oxalate-transaminase
(GOT) and glutamo-pyruvate-transaminase
(GPT). However, histoenzymology showed
reduction of steatosis of lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate
dehydrogenase (SDH), cytochromoxidase
2+
(Cyox) and Mg -dependant adenosine
triphosphatase (ATPase) [52]. The hot water
extract of C. officinalis flowers exhibited
antihepatoma activity against five human liver
cancer cells - HepG2/C3A, SK-HEP-1,
HA22T/VGH, Hep3B and PLC/PRF/5 - with
an inhibitory effect of 25 – 26 % at a dose of
2000 µg/mL [53].
Immunostimulant activity
The polysaccharide fraction of C. officinalis
extract showed immunostimulant activity,
based on in vitro granulocyte test.
Polysaccharide III showed the highest
phagocytosis (54 – 100 %) at a concentration
-5 -6
of 10 - 10 mg/mL, while PS-I and PS-II
exhibited 40 – 57 and 20 – 30 %
phagocytosis, respectively [35,36].
Antioxidant activity
A 70 % methanol extract of the plant was
successively extracted with ether, chloroform,
ethyl acetate and n-butanol leaving a residual
aqueous extract which was assayed for
antioxidant activity by liposomal lipid
peroxidation-induced Fe and ascorbic acid.
The ether, butanol and water extracts,
containing flavonoids, showed antioxidant
activity [54]. Propylene glycol extracts of the
petals and flower heads, assayed for
antioxidant activity by lipid peroxidation,
indicate that the extract of the petals was
more potent than the flower head extract,
based on analysis of plasma and urine
malondialdehyde (MDA) and urine
isoprostane inventrations (ipf2α-VI)[55].
Wound healing activity
The ethanol extract of the plant’s flowers was
investigated against experimentally induced
thermal burns in rats. Among the various
extract doses (20, 100, and 200 mg/kg of
body weight), the 200 mg/kg dose showed
significant improvement in healing of wounds
as indicated by increase in collagen-
hydroxyproline and hexosamine contents.
The level of acute phase proteins
(heptaglobin, orosomycid and tissue damage
marker enzymes - alkaline phosphatase),
alanine and aspartate transaminase
decreased significantly. The decrease in lipid
peroxidation might be due to its antioxidant
property [56].
Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 461
 Muley et al
The daily application of 2% calendula gel
resulted in a greater number of wound
healing due to its antimicrobial and
antioxidant property [57].
Spasmolytic and spasmogenic dual
activity
The aqueous-ethanol extract of C. officinalis
flowers ,when assayed in rabbit jejunum,
caused a dose-dependant (0.03 - 3.0 mg/mL)
+ The propylene glycol extract of C. officinalis
relaxation of spontaneous and K - induced
contraction; further fractionation of the extract
with dichloromethane showed inhibition of
spontaneous contractions in a dose range of
0.01 - 0.3 mg/mL. This is ten times more
potent than the parent crude extract, and
spasmolytic activity was found to be due to
calcium channel blockade (CCB)[58]. On the
other hand, the aqueous fraction of the
parent extract exhibited spasmogenic activity
in a dose range of 1 - 10 mg/mL [58].
Insecticidal activity
The acetone: methanol (2:1 v/v) extract of the
flowers showed insecticidal activity when it
was tested on milkweedbug[59].
Inhibition of heart rate
The aqueous extract was tested on the heart
of male Wistar rats and found to inhibit heart
rate contractility by up to 100 % at a dose of
0.3mg/L [60].
Genotoxic and antigenotoxic dual
activities
The aqueous (AE), aqueous-ethanol (AEE),
ethanol and chloroform extracts of C.
officinalis flowers were evaluated to
determine if they caused induction of
unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in rat liver
culture and reversal of diethylnitrosamine
(DEN)-induced UDS. In the UDS test in liver
culture, DEN, at a level of 1.25 µmole,
3
produced a maximum increase of 40% H-
3
thymidine ( HdTT) incorporation while AE and
AEE extracts showed complete reversal of
DEN effect at levels of around 50 ng/mL, and
between 0.4 and 16 ng/mL, respectively. In
the absence of DEN, these two polar extracts
induced UDS at concentrations of 25 and 3.7
- 100 µg /mL for AE and AEE, respectively, in
rat liver cell culture. Thus these polar extracts
(AE and AEE) at low concentrations (i.e.,
ng/mL range) showed antigenotoxic effect
while at high concentrations (i.e., µg/mL
range) they exhibited genotoxic effect [61].
also showed antigenotoxic effect based on an
evaluation in young growing pigs which
involved the measurement of the excretion of
lymphocyte DNA fragmentation and 24 h
urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-
OHdG) [55].
Antiviral activity
A tincture of the flowers suppressed the
replication of herpes simplex, influenza A2
and influenza APR-8 viruses in vitro [62].
TOXOCOLOGICAL STUDY
The hydroalcohol extract of C. officinalis
flowers,, based on assessment in rats and
mice, did not show acute toxicity following
administration of an oral dose of up to 5.0
g/kg. It didn’t show haematological alterations
at doses of 0.025, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg.
However, the biochemical parameters, blood
urea nitrogen (BUN) and alanine
transaminase (ALT), were elevated due to
renal and liver overload [63].
CONTRAINDICATION
The extract was found to cause allergy in 9
patients out of 443 (2.03 %) when assessed
by patch testing method[64]. Therefore, it is
advisable that the persons who have an
established allergy to the Asteraceae (daisy)
family should use it with caution [65,66] .
Trop J Pharm Res, October 2009; 8 (5): 462
 Muley et al
CONCLUSION
In this review, we have presented information
on the botanical description, traditional uses,
phytochemistry and pharmacology of C.
officinalis Linn. (Asteraceae), a medicinal
plant found in central and southern Europe,
western Asia and the United States, amongst
others. A variety of phytochemicals such as
terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, quinones,
volatile oil, carotenoids and others have been
reported to be present in this plant. It exhibits
several pharmacological activities such anti-
HIV, anti-cancer (dual activity), anti-
inflammatory, hepatoprotective, spasmolytic
and spasmogenic (dual activity), amongst
others. It is potentially an important medicinal
plant for mankind.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank Professor UA
Deokate for the photographs used in this
review, BA Baviskar for assistance with
software used in drawing the chemical
structures, and Professor IA Farooqui for
financial assistance.
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